Kerry, once again with little fanfare, does good in the world.

[beachmom]

Yeah, Bill gets all the credit, but I just feel safer knowing Kerry is doing so much behind the scenes:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8569429

By Elise Labott
CNN State Department Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea was the culmination of weeks of quiet diplomacy with Pyongyang and subtle public statements aimed at freeing American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee.

Having secured the journalists' release, will the trip eventually coax North Korea back to the negotiating table?

There was no shortage of envoys ready to travel to North Korea and negotiate the women's release.

Some heavyweights were turned down by the North Koreans: former Vice President Al Gore, a co-founder of the media outfit the women were working for when they were arrested, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations whose previous missions to North Korea included negotiating the release of a detained American.

Lower-level envoys like former U.S. ambassador to South Korea and current Korea Society Chairman Donald Gregg, Sig Harrison, an expert on North Korean nukes who has traveled there several times, and Han Park, a scholar at the University of Georgia, all offered their services.

Sen. John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was also closely involved in coordinating efforts with the White House and State Department to free the women. According to sources intimately involved with the efforts, Kerry received an official invitation to visit Pyongyang to facilitate their release and open a larger dialogue on the nuclear issue after several weeks of quiet direct diplomacy between Kerry and his aides and North Korea.

Thanks, Prosense, for keeping us up on Kerry news!

Original source:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/04/clinton.analysis/

[karynnj]

1. My thanks to Prosense (and you) also

The NYT, credits both Clintons - but that's no surprise. (I find it kind of hard to credit HRC who only 2 weeks ago compared them to badly behaved kids - that does not strike me as diplomatic.)

It will be interesting to see if there is any official comment from Obama thanking people. It would be nice if Obama even once publicly thanked him for anything, as he has thanked many others. But, like you, I am glad hearing that Kerry apparently has the ability and the freedom to actually do diplomatic things. This has to be a welcome contrast to the frustration you could hear in his voice when he spoke of things he couldn't do that he knew needed to be done in 2005-2008.

[wisteria]

2. I can not help but think this was done to steel someone Else's thunder.

I may be way off base here, but I just feel there was another motive or two that pushed B. Clinton to do what he did. The NK had call H. Clinton a school girl and they didn't seem inclined to speak with her. It is good the journalists are free, but I think there is more to this story than what meets th eye.

[karynnj]

3. I'm not sure

the majority of accounts do not mention Kerry at all. I tend to believe this because I doubt Kerry leaked anything. He is known to have taken his name off legislation to get it passed - we saw that when there was the bill which gave the Gulf Coast aid after Katrina. He is not one to claim credit.

I suspect that it might be HRC who asked Bill when the NK suggested Kerry or Clinton. One Clinton has yet to have a real diplomatic accomplishment and calling NK leaders children certainly was not one - now everyone knows that the person originally thought to be the leading candidate for SoS was JK. What message does it send when he, not her, comes home with those women. Now, I think both Syria and Sudan were more significant accomplishments, but they were less visible and were necessary intermediate steps on far more significant issues. So, it was less obvious. Remember it was nasty Clinton people who used words like "lightwieght". Who is the real lightweight - who has the weight of a position and has done less?

[TayTay]

7. I think you are exactly right

Kim Jong Il is not a sane person. He wants and needs to have the most powerful people be seen as associating with him on "equal" footing. He chose Bill Clinton because Mr. Clinton is a former President of the US. Kim wants to be seen as associating on the world stage with those of the highest standings. That has zero bearing on Sen. Kerry or his most worthy efforts in this case.

This is about the craziness of Kim Jon Il. Kudos to Bill Clinton for doing this. There were probably some humble moments involved in these negotiations, Kim being insane and all, and Clinton had to play along for the good of those two women and their families. It cannot have been easy to negotiate with someone who is crazy and has an unreal sense of his own standing in the world, as Kim does.

Massive kudos to Senator Kerry and staff. Once again, a class act, shows the way. He and his staff put a goal ahead of ego and helped get some delicate negotiations done.

I will think of all the careful words and the knowing heart that understood that diplomacy often means putting goal ahead of self when I re-see those pictures of that little girl hugging her mom. (Okay, I had tears in my eyes. Flat-out tears. It wrung me out to see that touching reunion and that precious little girl reunited with her mom.)

Hey, Senator, nice work! Thank God you never took your ball and went home when things didn't go your way over the last few years. We desperately need people with the diplomatic skills and know-how that you have. We absolutely need people with the knowledge of heart to put goal ahead of ego. That is truly God's work, done well.

[Luftmensch067]

8. Beautifully said all round, Tay

You know, re Obama never mentioning JK while obviously relying on him, I have a Crazy Theory. I think it's possible that Obama sees JK as his "secret weapon." Which president wouldn't feel lucky to have such a powerhouse of intellect, experience, wisdom and diplomatic skill at his or her back? But if you had the highest of high cards in your administration's hand, wouldn't you be wise to keep such a card hidden and play it for maximum effect when it's most needed? Look at what JK's been achieving behind the scenes -- Syria, China, N. Korea; I'm sure we have no idea how many quiet triumphs he's been managing, partly by virtue of being able to do so without fanfare.

Glory is nice, but making the ship sail true is nicer.

[wisteria]

10. Receiving credit where credit is do is also nice. I would not appreciate history giving credit

inaccurately to the wrong people, simply because the only accounts available are those reported in the press.

[YvonneCa]

13. That's my theory, too. They are a team...

...and have been (I think) from the beginning. Part of their success is due to Kerry being able to work behind the scenes as needed. JMHO. "Making the ship sail true..." Isn't it a great feeling? I am LOVING this.

Talk about change we can believe in. :patriot:

[wisteria]

9. Ah, you are to nice to good ol' Bill. But, you are right about the state of mind of KJI.

I know my bias shows, but in many cases my suspicions are well founded. I don't ever think there will come a point for me, when I will not suspect even one thing the Clinton's do. This was all for the good though, the women are free and BC comes back with usable information on KJI health and maybe other important information. I just wish BC was not involved in any of this for personal reasons.

[beachmom]

12. And the pictures to go along with your words:

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/gallery/2009/08/freed-us-journalists-come-home.php?img=1

I just want to say that when I praise Kerry, and say he does good things even if he doesn't get public credit for it, I do not do that to undercut the good work Bill Clinton did. I thought he did a very good job. It was all excellent coordination between the Obama Administration, the SFRC, and all other parties involved in getting this done.

This was a Team Democrats moment, and I am proud of all of them.

(I especially like the pic of Gore and Clinton -- wow, our retired do so much more good in the world than the GOP counterparts, don't they? Think about Dick Cheney speaking up for torture, while Gore has been fighting global warming and Clinton remains on the world stage to help out where he can)

[TayTay]

15. Completely agree

Senator Kerry has often lamented that fact that the atmosphere in DC is so poisoned with suspicion and mistrust that it is very difficult to get the people's business done. We all applaud these moments when the system works, egos are put aside and great things happen. I'm sure that Sen. Kerry is thrilled with this outcome and thrilled that those women are back home with the families that love them.

Diplomacy, intelligence and grace all delivered with a lack of ego is a wonderful thing. I hope we can see more of it. It honors our democracy and deeply honors all the effort of the people involved.

:grouphug:

[Inuca]

4. Latest news on this

is that NK asked specifically for Bill Clinton to come. And he went. Good for him. Though I fail to see where the great diplomatic achievement is in the willingness to take a long trip and to suffer through a three hour dinner with Kim.

[karynnj]

5. I agree that this is not a great diplomatic achievement, but it is a great cause for celebration by

the friends and family of these women. Here is Clemon's comment on the statement issued by Kerry:

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry gets the tone exactly right in his public statement about the release of the journalists. In his statement, he quickly moves to the strategic issues that need attention.

<snip>

North Korea is doing the right thing by granting Mrs. Ling and Mrs. Lee amnesty and letting them return to their families. I hope this goodwill gesture will create a new, more positive tone in U.S.-DPRK relations. This joyous day belongs to them and their families, who never gave up hope that the women would be released.

<snip>
Senator Kerry has called on the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to promptly resume talks on denuclearization. According to Senator Kerry, "This moment shouldn't be lost. North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons is a threat to regional security and stands as an obstacle to what the people of North Korea most want: respect, security, development, and peace.

But the United States, in concert with the Republic of Korea, Japan, China and Russia -- our partners in the Six Party Talks -- remains willing to engage in a mutually respectful dialogue with the DPRK to accomplish the goals of denuclearization and normalization and to create a permanent peace mechanism for the Korean Peninsula."

http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2009/08/john_kerry_gets/

From the right, there is at least some proof that Kerry's deft work as chair of SFRC might have been important in keeping the RW from making this release impossible. On July 22, Senator Brownback had an amendment for a Senate resolution demanding that NK be relisted as a sponsor of international terrorism - this in spite of the fact that nothing they had done since they were delisted justified it. Kerry was able to quickly get 66 Senators to instead vote for an amendment that called for a new report on NK which ssed (giving cover to several Republicans) and then got Brownback's amendment defeated. (here is their (il)logic - http://newledger.com/2009/08/bill-clintons-terrible-trip-to-north-korea/)

Kerry has done a fantastic job all year killing all these counterproductive RW amendments. Many of these types of amendments have passed in the recent years even when we were in control of Congress as they are written in a knee jerk way.

[Inuca]

6. As I so often say

thanks karyn for the information :-). I like Clemons, smart, informed and reasonable. By the way, I saw the picture on Clemons' page yesterday, and it was difficult not to start laughing out loud (bad idea, since I was at work). I think the way CLinton and Kim look seated on these chairs (that seem to have unusually short legs, but I guess it's just the perspective) is absolutely hilarious.

[wisteria]

11. Busy guy, I am glad he is on our side. n/t

[ProSense]

14. Thanks. There's more

here.

Interesting.

[karynnj]

16. I really do not get the cryptic WH comment - what could that be about?

It kind of sounds negative and dismissive to me. Am I just reacting wrong?

[TayTay]

17. Probably not a slight

But a consideration of the state of mind of the NK folks. Kim is crazy, after all, and a massive egotist. The former President probably played to his ego better.

[karynnj]

18. I understand why they sent Clinton- especially from your more detailed and excellent

comments. (My earlier comment was inappropriate and I should not have posted it) What I don't understand is why the WH made that completely unneccessary comment.

I agree that it was intended to refer to NK, but I don't get the reason to make this statement. Kerry is the top Senate foreign policy person and he has been a loyal ally of the WH. As it was, it was Bill Clinton who made the trip and succeeded in bringing the women home, to great fanfare. What is gained by arguing that only he could have done what in the past Bill Richardson, when he was less known than John Kerry is now, did? To me, this sounds like a Rahm Emmanuel type comment similar to painful comments made when Kerry was not selected as SoS. (and aggrevated by the Biden statements that he could have had either SoS or VP) I am not saying they should have suggested they thought of sending Kerry or worse to say that Kerry or anyone else had the ability to do this, but why use language that diminishes an ally or at minimum, a good Democrat?

It seems that there are many people who jockey for the favor of the President and it seems that there are some within the WH who prefer to minimize any respect the President may have for Senator Kerry. They certainly did Kerry no favors with the sloppy SOS selection and with this comment here. The fact is that where the President has praised many people on various things and has been pictured with many, I can't think of any instances with Kerry. I don't know if thinking there is any special connection could be deceiving myself.

This does not mean that he can not have a major impact. He is leading in creating the legislation that will revamp US AID, which will have a major impact on foreign policy and he is leading on climate change, which may be the toughest thing to get done of all Obama had to do. Both those things come from his own position that he owes just to the people of Massachusetts.

[TayTay]

19. It seems like it was done for diplomatic reasons

Again, Kim Jong Il is crazy. This negotiation was for 2 employees of the Current TV; these were not government employees who slipped over the border. So this was, in a sense, a private problem. Because Current TV is partly owned by former VP Gore, it was also something of a problem diplomatically for the Obama Admin.

There were discussions about sending various people to NK. John Kerry was on that list because of the respect he commands internationally. However, Kim Jong Il wanted former President Clinton to go for the prestige factor. (Former President and all that.) The White House did not dictate terms here. And they are dealing with the multiple rings of North Korea and the nuclear factor. Soooooo, the upside is that Bill Clinton, now a private citizen, was sent instead of any sitting officials of the government (a government that does, by definition, include Congress in it and any sitting Chairs in the Senate.)

Sen. Kerry is a representative of the US Senate when he travels abroad. He is the Chair of SFRC. He has weight within the current, sitting US Government. Bill Clinton, as a former President who is now a private citizen, does not. That matter when it comes to who can speak for the US govt in terms of nuclear negotiations and so forth. The terms of this particular trip state that NO NEGOTIATIONS on treaties take place, just and only discussions on getting these women freed.

So, Bill Clinton was the guy. There is no White House slight on Sen. Kerry. (If anything, this proves that he has both standing and power in US foreign policy.) Remember, Kim is crazy.

The White House was not disparaging Kerry. They were cool to him going, as they had to be. This was NOT a govt negotiation. That is a level of nuance and fine diplomacy that Sen. Kerry would get immediately and I'm sure he feels only happiness at the result, not offense.

[karynnj]

20. Thanks

[wisteria]

21. I take this comment as a slight to Kerry's diplomatic skills.

Who would take issue with Kerry being involved in diplomacy?
Who at the White House made this comment?

I read Tay's reply to this, but I disagree to some extent. I will say that I am certain that for Senator Kerry the release of these women was the most important aspect, but there does appear to be, on a regular basis, slights coming from someone associated with someone at the WH. Suggesting that the request to have Kerry do the negotiating was not considered as serious (why) can not be taken any other way then as a slight.
This comment has a Clinton operative written all over it, IMO.

[ProSense]

22. Actually, I take it as

editorializing. The fact is the invitation was extended. The comment that it wasn't taken seriously makes no sense. The administration (and probably all involved) appears to have decided not to send a political figure, especially one involved in the nuclear negotiation. Kerry is actively involved and this could have led to more speculation that there was a deal linking the two negotiations.

[wisteria]

23. Gotcha, but as you said, that comment does not make sense and

as I suggested, it sounds like a slight. Do you have any idea who would have made this comment?